The Water Wise Challenge is a friendly competition between cities in Dakota County to see who can be the most “water wise." Cities are encouraged to challenge their residents to take action and conserve water. Cities with the most participation win and will be recognized by the Dakota County Board of Commissioners.
More than 90 percent of our water supply in Dakota County comes from groundwater. While groundwater in Dakota County is plentiful, it is not unlimited. Increasing population growth, continued development and unpredictable climate patterns all impact our groundwater resources. After three years of drought, water usage in Dakota County has reached an all-time high. Summer water usage is at least 2–3 times higher than winter use.
In 2022, we used more than 30 billion gallons of groundwater in Dakota County. That's enough to fill the Empire State Building 108 times.
Do your part to use less water and help your city win the challenge. Take the Water Wise Pledge and learn simple ways you can save water and money. Every person makes a difference!
Complete the Water Wise Challenge Pledge Form
Indoor pledge options
Fix a leak by checking toilets and faucets
Average household leaks can account for nearly 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year — the equivalent of more than 270 laundry loads. Ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day. Common household leaks involve worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets and other leaking valves. Place a few drops of food dye in the toilet tank. If the dye appears in the toilet bowl, the flapper is leaking and wasting water. For more information on how to check for and fix a leak, go to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
Fix a Leak Week website.
Take shorter showers or replace with a low-flow shower head
Showering accounts for 17 percent of indoor water use. Save water by taking shorter showers or replacing your shower head with a WaterSense-labeled model. The EPA estimates that replacing one showerhead can save up to 2,700 gallons of water every year. Check with your natural gas provider to see if their energy audit provide free low-flow shower heads. For more information, visit the
EPA's Better Shower website.
Turn off the tap while brushing teeth or shaving
Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth can save 8 gallons of water daily and up to 10 gallons of water per shave. For more information, visit the EPA's
Start Saving website.
Run the dishwasher only when full
Running the dishwater only when full can eliminate one load of dishes per week, saving 320 gallons annually. For more information on how to save, go to the EPA's
Start Saving website.
Wash only full loads of laundry
The average family washes 300 loads of laundry each year. Reducing one load per week could save up to 2,000 gallons yearly. Replacing your washer with an Energy Star-labeled model could reduce water usage by 30 percent compared to regular washers. For more information, go to
Energy Star's Clothes Washers page.
Outdoor pledge options
Outdoor water usage accounts for more than 30 percent of total household water use. In Dakota County, summer water usage is 2–3 times higher than winter usage mostly due to watering lawns and landscaping.
Water use:
- Outdoor: 29 percent
- Toilet: 17 percent
- Shower: 13 percent
- Faucet: 13 percent
- Clothes washer: 12 percent
- Leaks: 10 percent
- Other: 6 percent
Adjust when you water lawn to only morning hours
Follow your municipality's ordinance, water only during the morning hours to reduce water evaporation and just when needed. Lawns only need 1 inch of water (including rain) per week. Managing water irrigation efficiently can reduce water usage by 15 percent, or nearly 7,600 gallons annually. Learn more at the University of Minnesota Extension's
Water-Saving Strategies for Home Lawns page.
Install a smart irrigation controller
Save up to 15,000 gallons annually by replacing a standard clock-based controller with a WaterSense-labeled irrigation controller. For more information, go to the EPA's
WaterSense Labeled Controllers page.
Audit your irrigation system for breaks and leaks
Check your irrigation system parts, including sprinklers, valves and controllers for breaks and leaks. Replace any broken sprinklers, correct water pressure, and make adjustments, so your system is supplying water only where you want it. You could be losing up to 25,000 gallons over a six-month irrigation season due to leaks. For more information on how to audit your system, go to the University of Minnesota Extension's
Auditing Home Lawn Irrigation Systems page.
Learn how to spruce-up your sprinkler on the EPA's
Sprinkler Spruce-Up page.
Install a raingarden, native landscaping, or low-input turf grass
Native, regionally appropriate plants require little water beyond normal rainfall. Also, consider a raingarden. Water running off your landscape and roof becomes stormwater runoff that can harm local water bodies as it picks up pollutants. Raingardens preserve water on your landscape, helping reduce stormwater runoff and the need for supplemental irrigation. For more information, see the Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District
Landscaping for Clean Water Program.
Learn more at EPA's
Water-Smart Landscapes.
Harvest rainwater
Prevent stormwater runoff and save water by collecting rainwater coming off your roof in barrels and reuse it for watering lawns and gardens. The amount of runoff that rain barrels prevent varies, but in general, every inch of rain that falls on a water-resistant surface of 1,000 square feet creates about 600 gallons of runoff. A single rain barrel will save most homeowners about 1,300 gallons of water during peak summer months. Check out Dakota County's
Rain Barrel page for information on buying or making your own.
References:
EPA's Statistics and Facts